Melody of a Dark Past
by Zim's-Best-Friend
Summary: Sequel to Music Based Friendship. New enemies emerge; an old enemy resurfaces. What will happen when these new and old threats cross and make Ember act strange? ZimxOC OLD!
1. Chapter 1

YAY! First chapter to my sequel. Unfortunately, I still have to post chapters at the skool library….so new chapters might be slow in the making. Also, for those of you who are still waiting for reviews from me, the skool bumped up their security, so getting to the story by merely searching the site isn't a possibility anymore. But I'm working on it, the same friend who first told me how to get around the security by searching the site also said I could use his computer this weekend…

Anyway….I hope you enjoy this chapter ^-^ (Title might change…)

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs…I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 1: Beginning of a Haunting.

Ember was sitting on the floor, leaning against the front of the couch. She had her sketchbook in her lap and was currently drawing something.

Zim had just gotten home from skool; he sat on the couch, in the corner and was silently watching Ember draw.

Gir wasn't home; either he was out getting something to eat, or was dancing to some annoying music at some club. Who knows? It's always hard to keep track of Gir.

It had been a month since the events of that first couple of weeks when Ember met Zim. One month of nothing but hanging out at the base for Ember. She refused to go outside and wouldn't tell Zim why.

Zim sighed "…Ember, why don't we go to the park?" He asked, trying to at least get Ember some fresh air; he knew humans needed it, and Ember was no exception.

Ember stopped drawing; she looked up at Zim with a hint of fear in her eyes. "Um…it's okay…I'm fine." She looked down from Zim's concerned look.

"Ember, it's been a month. Not only have the children at skool been questioning where you are, but also Ms. Bitters. I'm worried for you…" Zim explained, trying to get Ember to tell him what was going on with her.

"I'm fine Zim…Please; don't make a big deal of this." Ember looked down; she took out a pen to darken the lines of her new creation.

Zim was about to argue more, but the squeaking sounds of Gir's disguise stopped him. He looked towards the door to see Gir walking towards him.

Gir walked slowly across the room with a Suck Monkey in his hand. He walked towards the TV and turned it on, then walked to the couch and sat down next to Zim.

The Angry Monkey Show came on, but was quickly interrupted with a commercial break.

Ember looked up at the TV as the sounds of someone saying "Wanted" echoed throughout the room.

"Wanted: 10 year old girl for shooting and killing her father." A bold voice said as a picture of Ember came on the screen. "If you have any information please call this number" it then went on to show a police number or to call 911.

Ember stared at the screen; the pen was now being bent in her two hands from her anxiety.

Zim watched the screen, he didn't notice Ember actions.

Gir wasn't even paying attention; he had gone into the kitchen when the commercial first started. Sounds of him trying to get a soda out of the fridge were muffled by the voice on the TV.

Finally, the pen could no longer bend; it snapped.

Ember was flooded with past memories of being splattered with her father's own blood as the black ink splattered onto her chin and sides of her face. Bits of plastic reminded her of the glass as they hit against her skin without puncturing her skin.

As the man on the TV went on to describe who Ember was, what she looked like, what she had done and when she had done it, Ember held in tears as she buried her face in her hands.

Zim saw Ember and got off the couch. He knelt down next to her and held her as silent tears were threatening to fall down her face.

"Gir!" Zim shouted towards the green dog standing near the doorway of the kitchen. "Turn off the TV!"

"But…my show!"

"NOW!"

Gir did as his master said and walked back into the kitchen with his head down.

Zim still held Ember, but was gently pushed away. He stared at her as Ember wiped away the tears building up in her eyes with the back of her hand.

"So…is that why you don't want to go outside?" Zim asked in a soft voice.

Ember nodded slightly. "I….I don't really want to talk about it, I'm just going to go lay down for a while." She said as she got up off the floor, leaving the sketchbook and broken pieces of the pen behind.

Zim watched as she left through the door to the hallway. He sighed and got up; he turned to go to the kitchen.

Gir passed him in the kitchen; he skipped into the living room and turned on the TV.

Zim flushed himself down to his labs; his mind still on Ember. This was actually the first situation that he came across where he truly didn't know what to do. Ember couldn't live the rest of her life in his base, without ever going outside. Well, she could, but it would severely affect her health.

Well, it was something that could wait for now; the computer had alerted him to an urgent call from the Tallests.

---

Ember laid down on the bed, on top of the comforter. She rolled onto her side so she was facing away from the door and the light that slipped through its cracks.

It was dark; almost eerie. The lamp was on, but it did little.

This room seemed to hold another presence, a presence that certainly didn't like Ember. She could feel it.

Ember once again rolled over to the table; she turned on the radio that was still in her room. She started keeping it in her room to practice playing her guitar and her singing.

The room was just so silent; Ember wanted at least some sound.

A song started; a song that was sad and made her regret ever turning the radio on.

_I will not make the same mistakes that you did  
I will not let myself  
Cause my heart so much misery  
I will not break the way you did,  
You fell so hard  
I've learned the hard way  
To never let it get that far_

She turned away from the radio; now on her back, Ember stared up at the wired ceiling.

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you  
I am afraid_

She wanted to just shut the radio off; but something stopped her. The song played on, filling Ember's mind with more and more guilt.

She knew that she shouldn't feel guilt or even sadness for her father's death, but yet she still did.

_I lose my way  
And it's not too long before you point it out  
I cannot cry  
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes  
I'm forced to fake  
A smile, a laugh every day of my life  
My heart can't possibly break  
When it wasn't even whole to start with_

Silent tears fell down Ember's face; she could feel someone, or something watching her. She turned her head towards the door; seeing no one she began to feel nervous.

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you  
I am afraid_

Breathing sounds seemed to be coming from the far corner of the room; someone was watching, waiting for Ember to fall asleep.

Ember looked towards that corner; just in time to see a tall shadowy figure disappear. She sat up; the song still playing, she was now fully awake and on high alert.

_I watched you die  
I heard you cry every night in your sleep  
I was so young  
You should have known better than to lean on me  
You never thought of anyone else  
You just saw your pain  
And now I cry in the middle of the night  
For the same damn thing_

That same shadowy figure reappeared, walking out of its corner and towards the other corner across the room. It seemed to skip like a CD would; it would disappear, and then reappear farther from the place where it had vanished; still walking.

Ember watched it; she didn't know what to do, clearly it wasn't real. She wanted to scream for Zim, but something held her back. The same something that stopped her from turning off the radio; a feeling.

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I try my hardest just to forget everything_

It stopped; now near the foot of Ember's bed.

It starred at her; practically daring her to speak or even move.

"Ember…" It said in an eerie whisper; the voice was familiar, yet it seemed to be distorted from its voice having a sense of being demonic like.

_Because of you  
I don't know how to let anyone else in  
Because of you  
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty  
Because of you  
I am afraid_

Ember was frozen from fear; she couldn't move or speak. She just starred at it; meeting its death filled glare.

_Because of you  
Because of you_

The song ended; the radio now went from being silent with the last words of the song still lingering, to static filled.

The figure stood up straight and vanished. The radio stopped.

Ember waited for its return, but it never came. Slowly she crept out of bed and to the door. It opened and she ran out, heading for the elevator door.

She went into the elevator, telling the computer to take down to wherever Zim was. It obeyed and took her to the main lab.

Ember thanked the computer and walked out. She saw Zim and was about to run up to him when she noticed he was talking to someone on the monitor.

She realized who they were and stopped walking; she watched the two on the screen.

The Tallests seemed a lot nicer to Zim; though they seemed to be worried and filled with a sense of severe urgency.

Ember sighed in relief, clearly they weren't arguing, so Zim was safe. She continued her walk towards Zim; wiping off some of the cold sweat that resulted from what had happened to her only minutes ago.

---

Probably not the best part to end the chapter, but I'm almost out of time.

The next chapter should be up soon, my computer is on its way to being repaired. So by I guess this time next week, I should have the freedom of using my computer again.

Next chapter should be up soon…


	2. Stand your ground Ember

I finally got my computer fixed!! YAY!! And now that it's the 3 day weekend, I can focus on typing a chapter before doing my homework! :)

Just a warning…this chapter might be…pretty depressing…I had a fight with my friends over something very sad that happened when we were in 8th grade. And my feelings with my friends and family severely affect my writing…so….yeah.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs. I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 2: Stand your ground Ember...

Ember walked up next to Zim. She easily recognized the Tallests that were on the monitor in front of her, and she was sure that they easily recognized her.

Zim knew Ember was there, but he continued to talk with his leaders.

"What do you mean a threat? Who would dare try to fight the Irken Armada?!"

"That's what we thought…but it's true. That's why we need you…to come back." Red was the one who was speaking; he had a very serious expression on his face.

"Me?! I thought I was exiled…" Zim got a smirk on his face, seeing the possibility of having his banishment revoked.

"You are! You still are; but they're going to find you…they're going after every Irken that's not on the Massive or Irk. It'll be easier for them to find a weakness." Purple said, stepping in for his co-leader.

Zim nodded; he understood. He looked at Ember; she looked confused.

"What's going on?" Ember whispered to Zim; she knew it really wasn't any of her business, but she was a human, and humans are usually curious.

"Nothing….just…go back upstairs." Zim didn't want Ember to know what was going on; he knew she had enough to deal with.

Ember backed away; she looked up at the Tallests once again, then turned and walked back to the elevator.

Red was watching her leave; Purple was eating a doughnut.

As soon as Ember was out of sight, Red's attention was once again on Zim.

"We'll be expecting you soon Zim…And remember, we're not telling you this because we like you; we just don't want the vital secrets of the Armada lost to the enemy because of your stupidity!"

The transmission was cut; Zim continued to stare at the screen. He knew what he was going to do; he turned and walked towards the elevator.

He was brought up to the house level; he walked through the kitchen and into the living room.

Ember was sitting on the couch, alone. She had cleaned up the aftermath of her near breakdown; the pen was thrown away, and the sketchbook was on the kitchen table.

Zim hesitated; he walked over to Ember and sat down next to her.

"Sorry…I couldn't really tell you…"

"It's okay…Zim?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'll go to skool tomorrow…"

"Really?" Zim turned to Ember, but his gaze was not met; Ember's eyes stayed focused on the blank screen of the TV that was in front of her.

"Yeah…" Ember sighed; she looked out the window. It was getting dark and the first few stars were coming out. "But I think I'm just going to go to bed right now."

Ember got up; she got near the hallway door but stopped. She looked back at Zim; he was getting up himself.

"Um…Can I sleep on the couch tonight?" She asked; she didn't think if she could face that presence in her room that night.

"Sure. Why?" Zim asked in confusion.

"No real reason…I just want to…" Ember looked down at the ground.

"…Okay…" Zim walked over to Ember and walked through the now open hallway door. He returned with a pillow and a blanket from Ember's room.

"Thanks Zim." Ember took the two items and laid down on the couch. She quickly fell asleep; not noticing Zim's worried look.

---

Morning came; the sun shined brightly through the windows and into the living room.

Ember opened her eyes; it was a dreamless night, Ember took it as a good thing. But she did enjoy dreaming, she just didn't like the nightmares.

She pulled back the blanket and sat up.

'Just get through one day of skool Ember…at least one day…' Ember thought to herself. She watched as Zim emerged from the kitchen; he had slept in the lab again.

Zim put on his disguise and walked to the door; he stopped and looked back at Ember, waiting for her patiently.

Ember got up; she walked to the door while she smoothed out her hair and her clothes.

"Oh…wait…I don't have my backpack!"

"Forget about it. I doubt you want to go back to your house…do you?" Zim's hand stayed on the doorknob, his eyes stayed on Ember.

"No…I don't. It's okay…let's just go."

Zim opened the door and the two stepped out.

Ember breathed deeply; she missed the feeling of fresh air filling her lungs. It was cold; Ember wished she still had her jacket.

The walk to skool was, as always, silent. Neither Zim nor Ember wanted to tell the other what they were thinking; they just wanted to get through this day.

As they walked into the skool; Ember put her head down. She didn't want to be noticed, at least, not right at that moment.

Zim watched her back; he kept an eye on the children they passed, making sure that they didn't come near her.

The bell rang as they got into the classroom; Zim and Ember took their seats. Ember awaited the children's surprise of actually seeing her in skool today. Although, this was probably going to be her last day in skool.

As the students came in; almost none of them noticed Ember. That is, until Zita came in.

Zita took one step into the room and immediately noticed Ember. "Hey freak! I thought I'd never see your ugly face again!" She shouted, walking towards Ember. She had completely forgotten about Zim.

Ember kept her head down; she could hear Zita coming near her and her annoying voice.

Suddenly, Ember stood up; she looked up and stared Zita right in the eye. She stood her ground, her stare never left Zita's.

Zim looked back at Ember, he stayed where he was. This was now Ember's fight, Zim would only step in if he saw that she needed his help.

Just as Ember was about to take her first step towards Zita, Ms. Bitters appeared.

"Sit down! Both of you!" She shouted; immediately, Zita walked back to her seat and sat down, Ember hesitated.

"Ember! What did I just tell you?! Sit down!"

Ember sat down; she looked around, everyone was staring at her. Some of the looks were of pure shock and fright. Either it was because of Ms. Bitters having to tell her something twice, or it was because those kids had seen the news recently. She began to feel nervous.

'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…' Ember looked over at Zim; he didn't see her, he was currently paying attention to the teacher.

She looked down at her desk and awaited the shrill sounds of the bell to ring, to signal that it was time for lunch.

Outside, the sun was completely covered by gray clouds. The wind turned a little more violent.

Finally, the bell rang. Ember watched as the students around her got up and walked out into the hallway.

Zim got up and Zita stayed behind.

Zita stared at Ember. She noticed Zim staring at her with cold eyes, basically telling her to leave before he got angry. But before she left, Zita looked back at Ember. Her eyes told of a threat, and then she turned and left.

Ember watched her leave. A month ago, that stare would have been enough to scare Ember, but now, Ember could have cared less. She got up and walked towards Zim.

The two walked through the halls; passing children saw Ember, some of them ran off, others stayed away.

Ember wasn't hungry; she just wanted to get outside.

Zim didn't argue; he just wanted to get away from all the filthy children and the disgusting smells of the cafeteria food.

They sat at their regular bench by the tree. Ember wished she still had her book, but she knew that she just wouldn't be able to take going back to her old house right now. She leaned back against the chain linked fence behind her.

Zim sat next to her; he watched her actions.

He was about to say something when he heard someone coming out of the cafeteria.

Both looked up to see Zita and Torque walking towards them. Zita looked angry, and Torque had a look on his face that said that he just couldn't wait to beat up Ember again.

Zim stood up; willing to protect Ember. But he was gently pushed to the side as Ember got up.

He was going to ask what she was doing, but he felt a single rain drop hit the side of his face. He looked up and saw several more raindrops coming down.

He stood there for a minute, feeling the rain hit him. He felt safe until he felt a burning sensation.

The paste was not sticking; it was melting away, leaving Zim's skin unprotected.

Zim fought back the urge to scream as he stood his ground next to Ember. He didn't want to leave her.

"Zim…go! I can take them…" Ember whispered to him; she knew that water was like acid to him. At least, polluted water was.

"I can't just lea—"

"GO!" Ember pushed Zim away from her, trying to get him to go to the security of inside the skool building.

Zim didn't know what to do, the rain was coming down faster and the pain was becoming more and more great.

Torque saw his chance; he tackled Ember to the ground.

Zita watched Zim; she didn't want to hurt him, she just wanted to hurt Ember.

Zim took a few steps back, he looked down at the ground. He then turned and ran for cover.

Ember watched as he ran; she turned her attention on the boy that was holding her down. She kicked him as hard as she could in the stomach and watched as he doubled over in pain.

She got up, but was once again tackled, this time by Zita.

Zita wasn't strong enough to hold Ember to the ground, but she could put her in a choke hold.

Ember struggled; she was finally able to push Zita away. Making her fall and land in a muddy puddle.

Zita was rubbing her eyes; they were splashed with water when she fell. But when she was finally able to open them again, she saw that Ember was climbing the chain linked fence.

---

Zim watched this from the windows in the cafeteria, along with every other student. He watched as she climbed, wanting her to get away safely.

---

Ember got to the top of the fence and jumped down to the other side. She never looked back as she ran off. But she did hear Zita and Torque as they shouted at her.

"You coward! Get back here!"

"What? Aren't you going to murder us like you did your own father?!"

---

Ember didn't stop until she hit the park. She would have kept going if she hadn't have seen the red and blue lights of the police cars near the entrance.

Four squad cars were parked near the entrance; the police were running into the park. They had seen Ember.

Ember turned and ran; she ran past the swing sets and jungle gyms, hitting a big open field.

"_**STOP! Stop or we'll send the dogs out!"**_

She heard the cop, but she still refused to stop. 'Who would use a K9 to chase after a ten year old?' Was all that was on Ember's mind.

The rain was pouring down; it almost completely blocked her from the police.

Ember tripped; she was exhausted, but she got up and looked back.

She saw two of the K9 Squad coming after her. She tried to run, but the dogs caught her and one forced her to the ground.

She fought and kicked; but it was no use. The dogs were both German Shepards, and both were at least three times Ember's size.

The dog that was on her bit hard into her arm, causing two huge gashes.

Ember hissed in pain; she was almost about to give up when the dog that was on her was shot by some sort of laser. The other dog ran off when it saw its partner get shot.

Ember propped herself up on her elbows and looked behind her.

Zim walked towards her. He gently grabbed Ember's uninjured arm and helped her up.

"How did you…"

"I guessed…good thing I found that container of paste in the classroom."

Ember looked down at the dog; she had a sad look on her face. She didn't like seeing any animal get hurt, and this dog was no exception. It was trained to be like that…it wasn't the dog's fault.

"Don't worry, the Earth beast was only rendered unconscious. It should be back on its feet in about twenty minutes. Let's go..."

Ember looked back at Zim; she looked away and to the spot where she had last seen the police officers. She didn't see them; she thought that maybe they had decided to go a different direction.

---

The two walked through the field; Ember was limping, but she refused Zim's help.

They found a hole in the fence that ended the field and crawled through it; at least they wouldn't be spotted by the police. They couldn't even see their cars.

The walk home was long, silent, and cold. Ember kept her eyes on the ground; she was holding her injured arm as she walked.

Zim looked ahead; he was still on high alert, afraid that they would be jumped. But the streets were empty, due to the rain and strong winds.

They finally made it home.

Zim opened the front door and waited for Ember. He watched her as she walked inside, still holding her arm. He also saw that she was bleeding pretty badly.

Ember sat on the couch; she looked tired and hurt, both physically and mentally. That walk home reminded her of when she had to walk to Zim's base the night when….well, she didn't really want to think about it.

Zim spent half an hour cleaning Ember's arm. As he wrapped bandages around her arm, he looked into Ember's eyes.

Her eyes seemed blank and soulless, like she was put into a trance.

"…Ember…What's wrong? We got away didn't we?"

She hesitated before giving an answer. "Yes…but I put you in danger…and I ran from the fight. Zita was right…I am a coward…" She looked down.

"Never say that!" Zim yelled at her, causing him to jerk her arm by accident.

Ember held in a gasp of pain.

Zim realized what he had done. He quickly finished wrapping the bandages and once again looked at Ember.

"…I'm the one who should be sorry. I abandoned you…"

"NO! If it wasn't for me running away…I wouldn't have been seen by the police…" Ember stood up in frustration.

"Zita was the cause for those humans seeing you! She called them right after you ran off!" Zim stood; he was beginning to get angry.

"Whatever…I'm going to bed…" Ember walked off.

"Ungrateful human…" Was all that Zim muttered…Ember heard him.

She disappeared into the hallway and into her room. She sat down on her bed; she reached over and turned on the radio. She did feel ungrateful and she felt bad about yelling at Zim. He was just trying to help her…

She just sat there, looking down at the floor as a song came on.

_She never slows down  
She doesn't know why but  
she knows that when  
She's all alone feels  
Like it's all coming down  
She won't turn around _

Ember listened to the song; she didn't care if the shadowy presence saw her and decided to show up. She just didn't care…

_The shadows are long  
And she fears if she cries  
That first tear  
The tears will not stop  
Raining down_

Ember wanted to cry, but she stopped herself.

'No…no more tears!' She screamed at herself through her thoughts.

_So stand in the rain  
Stand your ground  
Stand up when it's all crashing down  
You stand through the pain  
You won't drown  
And one day what's lost can be found  
You stand in the rain_

Ember didn't notice the tall, shadowy figure watching her from the same corner it was in the first time she saw it.

It was silent, watching her.

_She won't make a sound  
Alone in this fight with herself  
And the fears whispering  
If she stands, she'll fall down  
She wants to be found but  
The only way out is through  
everything she's running from  
Wants to give up and lie down_

_So stand in the rain_  
_Stand your ground  
Stand up when it's all crashing down  
You stand through the pain  
You won't drown  
And one day what's lost can be found  
You stand in the rain_

Ember looked at her bandaged arm. She now felt like a terrible friend.

"…You don't deserve a friend like Zim…You really are an ungrateful slut…" The figure spoke in a cold voice. A voice that was once again distorted and sounded demonic.

Ember didn't look up; she didn't say anything.

_So stand in the rain  
Stand your ground  
Stand up when it's all crashing down  
Stand through the pain  
you won't drown  
And one day what's lost can be found_

The figure disappeared; causing the song to sound a bit distorted, but it soon returned to it's lyrics.

_So stand in the rain  
Stand your ground  
Stand up when it's all crashing down  
You stand through the pain  
You won't drown  
And one day what's lost can be found  
You stand in the rain_

The song ended; Ember turned off the radio and lay down.

She refused the tears and pulled the covers over head. She fell into a very uncomfortable sleep.

---

Dang…this chapter was long!

But I do think that I could have done a better job with the detail in the first half of the chapter…but I think the point does get across…and I'm really tired right now.


	3. Face to face with the enemy

Once again, this chapter might be very depressing….just a warning…

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs…I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 3: Face to face with the enemy.

Ember tossed and turned in her sleep. Her eyes shot open; she looked around the room and sighed. It was another nightmare, but this one was…different.

It seemed as if her nightmares were becoming more and more violent. They were also becoming more evil and demonic like.

She hesitated before getting out of bed. She stared at the outline of the door before slowly taking a step towards it.

'What about Zim? Will he still be mad…Will he still be there?' Ember thought. She wouldn't blame him if he was or if he just kicked her out.

The door slid open and she walked out into the bright light.

She saw Gir on the couch and got a feeling of Des-a-vu.

"Hey, uh…Gir, where's Zim?"

"In the labs…I think."

"Is he…still mad?"

But before Gir could answer her, the sounds of Zim being brought up to the kitchen were heard. He walked quickly to the living room, he seemed frantic.

Ember stood where she was; she looked down, not wanting to make eye contact with Zim. She was starting to slip back into her old habits of being shy and uncertain of herself.

Zim looked at her for a second, unsure of what to say. He was about to say something when he remembered why he was so worried.

He quickly grabbed Gir and Ember by the arms; he was careful to not grab Ember's injured arm. He pulled them to the elevator in the hallway and told the computer to take them up to the Voot Cruiser Bay.

As soon as the door slid open to reveal the Voot Cruiser, Zim ran right for it.

Ember pulled away half way there. "Zim, what are you doing?" She asked, confused.

"There's no time!" Zim still had his grip on Gir; who was trying to turn on his radio.

Zim ran over to the Voot Cruiser and popped open the windshield. He got in and was immediately followed by Gir, but Ember hesitated.

"Ember come on! I have to leave now!"

Ember was about to say something, but she just sighed and got in.

The windshield closed and Zim stared the Voot Cruiser. Ember wanted to ask what was going on, but she stayed quiet.

---

As they flew through the sky, Ember could tell that Zim was taking a major risk. It was early morning, about 8:30 am. 'This must be some big emergency if Zim is driving in daylight…' Ember thought.

Gir had fallen asleep, leaving his radio in his lap and turned off.

Ember didn't care; she wasn't really in the mood to hear a song anyway.

"Oh uh…I found these yesterday…wondered if you might want them back." Zim said as he took out a pair of headphones out of his PAK.

Ember took them. "Thanks…But how did you find them? I thought they were gone for good."

"They were under a bush near the swing set. I only found them because I nearly tripped…"

Ember didn't respond. She put the headphones in her lap and looked down. They had already passed the Earth's atmosphere a long time ago, and the Massive was coming into view.

Zim wanted to say something to cheer Ember up, but he had to concentrate. The other Invaders were also arriving.

---

They managed to get through the teleporter and parked in the same room where Ember had previously.

Zim got out; he decided to leave Gir. There was no point in trying to wake up the little robot.

Ember also got out; she held her headphones in her hand.

Zim lead the way to the door; they walked past the Trial room and into one that was even bigger.

((Think of the room that was in the first episode…where all the Invaders got their assignments))

Ember followed; she kept her eyes on the ground.

"…Zim, are you sure I'm even allowed to be here?"

"What? Oh…not really. But the Tallests already know you…so they should be fine with it."

As soon as they entered the room, all eyes fell on Ember. The looks she was given weren't really nasty ones, more like curious looks.

Zim watched out for Ember; he didn't want her to be taken for a threat and then thrown out the airlock or something…

The Tallests were standing on a small stage, talking with each other.

Zim grabbed Ember by the hand as he led her around the huge crowd; he then went to the side of the stage and walked up a staircase. They joined the other Invaders who were standing behind the Tallests.

The Tallests didn't seem to care, but the other Invaders eyed Zim with a look of displeasure.

Finally, Tallest Red looked away from Tallest Purple and looked at Zim.

"So nice of you to finally join us Zim…" Red said with a hint of anger on his voice.

Purple was going to say something, but Invader Tenn beat him.

"My Tallests! I thought this was a meeting for Irkens. Not the enemy!" She looked at Ember.

"Embers not bothering anyone and besides, she's not really an enemy." Purple said, glancing at Ember.

Ember smiled; at least she was safe…for now.

Suddenly, a loud, shrill alarm went off; lights flashed to signal a security breach. Most of the Irkens that weren't on stage started to panic.

The Invaders looked ready to fight, and the Tallests just kept their eyes glued to the double doors across the way.

Ember didn't know what was going on; she looked at Zim, but he was too fixed on looking at the door to notice she was looking at him.

Those same double doors slammed open. They revealed several beings, all ranging in size and race.

The leader waited as his army attacked the crowded Irkens.

The Irkens fought back, but they were forced to make a path that lead up to the Tallests on stage.

"Zim…who is that?" Ember whispered. She stayed close to him.

"The Leader of the Resisty, Lard Nar…" Zim answered. He kept his voice down.

Lard Nar floated in; he sat on a chair that carried him. It was the same one he had on the original Resisty ship, only this one didn't connect to the ship.

The Invaders looked ready to attack, but a silent order to stand their ground from Tallest Red stopped them. They obeyed.

The room was silent. Lard Nar made his way to the Tallests without getting on the stage. He floated up so he would be eye to eye with them.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Lard Nar asked in an eerie whisper. "My drones have completely disabled your weapons and your defenses. There is no way you can protect yourselves, so you might as well just tell us." His voice was still a whisper.

"Never." Red and Purple said in unison.

Lard Nar was about to say something back, but his eyes fell on Ember. He saw how she stayed close to Zim, frightened. He also saw how Zim tried to get between Ember and himself. And the only reason for that would have been that she was either a close friend or something wanted by the Tallests.

Either way, she was something precious to Zim and/or the Irken race.

"You! Come here…" Lard Nar pointed at Ember.

Ember looked at Zim, unsure of what to do. She took a step away from him and walked towards Lard Nar.

Zim could only watch as his only friend stood only mere inches away from the enemy.

"What are you?" Lard Nar asked. His voice remained cold; it was even colder that Red's.

"I'm…I'm a human." Ember looked down.

Lard Nar stared at her for a while. It was clear that she was certainly not on the Resisty's side.

He grabbed her by the injured arm.

Ember looked up at Lard Nar; she tried to conceal the fear in her eyes.

He pulled her off the stage and dragged her as he turned around and bolted away.

Zim looked shocked. He watched helplessly as Ember was pulled away.

The Tallests just stood there. They both looked down. Red glanced at Zim, making sure that he wouldn't disobey his order.

Of course, Zim didn't obey. He jumped off the stage and ran to catch up to Lard Nar.

He almost made it, but someone from Lard Nar's army slammed him into a wall. He slid down; hearing the footsteps of the other's walking past him.

They all crowded around. There were about 25 of Lard Nar's army. One of them pressed a button on Lard Nar's chair, and they were quickly teleported back to their own ship.

Zim could hear Ember's loud, frightened screams as she disappeared.

---

This chapter would have been completed and posted last week. If it wasn't for my so called "friend" hacking into my account and deleting half the chapter. I should probably start saving these chapters, instead of deleting them off Microsoft as soon as I have them saved on my account…

And being sick certainly didn't help…

So I hope you enjoyed this chapter…a lot of the details will be explained in the next chapter, (I'm in a huge rush right now, so some of the minor details will have to wait)

Also, the only reason why this chapter didn't have a song in it is because I couldn't find a song that was good enough, or could fit the mood. But I'll make up for it next chapter.


	4. Dark Silence

I know, the last chapter wasn't really my best…Hopefully, this one will be better.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs. I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 4: Dark Silence.

Zim kept on staring at the spot where Ember vanished even though she was long gone. He still sat where he slid down after being smashed into the wall. He heard people approaching him.

Tallest Red was looking down at Zim. He stayed silent, waiting for Zim or Purple to say something.

All of the Invaders followed their leaders and were not standing a respectful distance behind them. They didn't know why the Tallests were acting the way they were. Wasn't this a good thing? Instead of an Irken being taken, some alien was.

Zim got up; he turned to his leaders.

"Aren't we going to go after them?!" Zim was trying not to yell, but he was also trying not to cry.

"We can't Zim…she's gone." Red's voice was just above a whisper. He didn't blame Zim for being upset.

"What do you mean?! We can still save her…if we catch up to their ship."

"We can't! The Massive was damaged when they attacked…like Lard Nar said. They disabled our defenses and our weapons…if we were to even try to go after them, we would be risking every Irken who's on here their life." Purple explained.

"But—"

"Forget about her Zim! She's just some alien who shouldn't have been here! And besides, it's better this way…" Invader Tenn held an uncaring tone as she said this to Zim. She smirked when she saw a lot of the hope in his eyes vanish.

Zim gave up. He walked past the Tallests and the Invaders. He headed towards his Voot Cruiser, trying to hold back the tears.

The Tallests watched him leave. They didn't want this to happen. Yes, they still hated Zim…but that didn't mean that they hated Ember.

Purple looked at Red. "What are we going to do?" He whispered, low enough so the Invaders wouldn't hear.

Red sighed. "I…don't know."

He then turned to the others behind him. The all looked up at him and saluted, waiting for their orders.

"All of you…go back to your assigned planets. We'll call you if anything new happens."

The Invaders all nodded and turned, they headed towards their Voot Cruisers.

---

Zim was now far away from the Massive. He still tried to hold back the tears.

Gir was still asleep; he actually slept through the whole incident. As they made their way through the Earth's atmosphere, Gir began to stir.

The base was silent and felt lonely without Ember. Zim felt that as soon as he parked the Voot Cruiser in the base.

"Where's Ember?" Gir asked. His voice wasn't as cute and annoying.

"She's….she's gone." Was all Zim said in the elevator.

Zim sat on the couch. He still tried not to cry. As much as he hated to admit it, the Tallests were right. The Resisty had grown since their last defeat; they were now much stronger and a lot more violent.

Gir walked in; the radio was in his hands.

He put it on the floor, turned it on, and left.

A song started.

_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house  
That don't bother me  
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out  
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while  
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me  
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok  
But that's not what gets me_

He could hear rain drops hitting the window. They were small and far between.

Zim couldn't hold it in anymore; silent tears built up in his eyes then fell down his cheeks.

_What hurts the most  
Was being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away  
And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was tryin' to do_

Zim didn't know what to do; he knew if he went up against the Resisty alone, he would be killed.

He blinked several times to get the tears to stop, but they kept falling. He felt guilty…

Why did they even want Ember? What use was she to Lard Nar? Something told Zim that it had to do with her being his friend.

_It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go  
But I'm doin' It  
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone  
Still Harder  
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret  
But I know if I could do it over  
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart  
That I left unspoken_

Zim sat back; he leaned his head on the back of the couch. Those tears were starting to stop…

_What hurts the most  
Is being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away  
And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was trying to do_

The rain had stopped; but the sun stayed hidden among gray and dark clouds.

_What hurts the most  
Is being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away  
And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was trying to do_

Zim sighed. 'Maybe Tenn was right…maybe I should just forget about Ember.' He thought. He didn't want to, but there was no way to save her. What was the point in stressing himself out?_  
_

_Not seeing that loving you  
That's what I was trying to do_

The song ended; Zim got up and turned off the radio. He then went into the kitchen and headed towards his labs.

---

Ember was thrown into a dark and cold cage. She didn't know where she was or what had even happened.

The alien who had tossed her into the cage said that she'd be wanted for questioning soon. Ember was scared…she wanted Zim.

She expected him to burst through the door the minute she was put in the cage…but he never came.

The headphones were still in her hands. Ember took the Zune out of her pocket and plugged the headphones in.

A song started to play.

_From underneath the trees, we watch the sky  
Confusing stars for satellites  
I never dreamed that you'd be mine  
But here we are, we're here tonight_

Ember listened to the song.

She pulled her knees to her chest as she sat down against the wall behind her; she hugged them.

_Singing Amen, I, I'm alive  
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died_

And I'm singing Amen

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive  
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

Ember refused the tears to fall. Like with her father, Ember wanted to show no emotion to these…beings.

_And in the air the fireflies  
Our only light in paradise  
We'll show the world they were wrong  
And teach them all to sing along_

_Singing Amen, I, I'm alive  
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive  
(I'm alive)_

Ember could tell that there were others near her. Not in the cage she was in, but in their own cages around her and even above her._  
_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died_

Ember closed her eyes; she felt tired. But as soon as she realized that she was falling asleep, Ember opened them. She wanted to be on high alert.

_And as we lie beneath the stars  
We realize how small we are  
If they could love like you and me  
Imagine what the world could be_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died  
When nobody died..._

The others were silent. Just as Ember couldn't see them; they couldn't see her.

_If everyone cared and nobody cried  
If everyone loved and nobody lied  
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride  
Then we'd see the day when nobody died_

_We'd see the day, we'd see the day  
When nobody died  
We'd see the day, we'd see the day  
When nobody died  
We'd see the day when nobody died_

As the song ended, the same alien that put her in the cage came into the room.

He walked towards Ember's cage and opened the door. It creaked as it was opened from it being rusty and worn.

"Come on! Our leader wants to see you!"

---

And there's chapter 4. And yes, I know that Ember's moment in the cage was a lot like Zim's when he was in a cell….

Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. Chapter 5 should be up soon.


	5. Fear Filled Truth

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs. I am not claiming that I do…

---

Chapter 5: Fear Filled Truth.

Zim was trying to concentrate on the monitor in front of him. But it was getting harder and harder for him to. The lab seemed to be missing something.

Zim kept on turning around to the corner behind him, expecting Ember to be there drawing something. He kept on expecting to see her look up at him with a smile on her face, then get up and walk to his side to see what he was doing.

But, every time he was met with the same scene. All he saw was an empty space…not Ember.

He sighed and moved his hands off the keyboard in front of him.

He was about to go to the elevator when he heard strange buzzing sounds coming from behind him.

---

Ember fell on her knees in front of a floating chair. She looked up and saw the same being that had caused all this and had brought her to this horrible place.

Lard Nar stared down at her; he waited for her to get up.

Ember got up; she looked down, not wanting to make eye contact. She was still trying hard not to show emotion.

"Well…How do you like my dungeon?" Lard Nar asked. He held coldness and a feeling of uncaring in his English accent.

Ember stayed quiet. She knew it was a trick question…her father would always give her these type of questions.

"Not talking huh? Look! You have a choice; you can either make your stay here moderately painless by answering all our questions with honest answers. Or pain filled by being uncooperative! What's it gonna be?"

Lard Nar reached down and grabbed Ember by the front of her shirt and pulled her up to eye level.

"What do you want to know?" Ember finally asked, disgusted.

"Finally!" Lard Nar dropped Ember; watching as she landed on the floor quite hard. "I want you to tell me all you know about those idiotic Irkens!"

"Well how idiotic could they possibly be? If they have you guys asking the questions…to a little human girl!" Ember looked back up to Lard Nar; watching as the anger rose in his eyes.

"Just answer!" Lard Nar screamed.

Ember sighed. "I don't know anything about the Irkens…Zim wouldn't tell me." She knew lying would just get her in more trouble, but she would rather give her own life than watch these…things destroy her only friend and his race.

"You're lying! I can see it all over your filthy face!" Lard Nar kept his eyes on Ember, watching her closely.

"Yeah? Well…It'll take a lot more than just throwing me in a cage to get answers out of me! And besides…once Zim comes to rescue me, you guys will be sorry for ever putting one finger on me!" Ember knew she was making a big mistake, but she spoke what she thought.

Lard Nar and all the others that stood behind and around her started to laugh mockingly.

"What makes you think that any Irken would risk their life to rescue you?" Lard Nar said. His laughter still lingered, but he held it in and once again regained that look of uncaring.

"Because…Zim's my friend…and I know he'd never give up on me!"

The army once again broke into laughter, but Lard Nar just seemed to get angrier.

"Oh please! Do you really think that that Irken or any Irken would possibly want to rescue you?! Irkens care for no one and nothing; all they care about is their precious Impending Doom 2! Give-it-up!"

Ember said nothing. She just looked at the ground; she looked up and said "Well…Zim's different! And…I know the Tallests are too!"

Lard Nar sighed and with a swish of his hand, a guard grabbed Ember and dragged her away by the wrist.

As she was dragged away, Lard Nar called out "Believe what you want to believe, kid!"

Ember was thrown back into the same cage. She sat down in the same spot, trying to convince herself that Lard Nar was just trying to scare her.

Something told her that…Lard Nar was right. Zim wasn't coming…

Ember tried to tell herself that Zim was her friend…and he would never abandon her.

'He's right…Zim doesn't care.' She thought. She remembered what that other Irken had said…about her just being "some alien".

Ember put her knees to her chest and hugged them. She reached into the corner next to her and pulled the Zune and headphones out of the shadows.

She put the headphones on and picked a song.

_Ohh, ohh  
So much for my happy ending  
Ohh, ohh  
So much for my happy ending  
ohh, ohh, ohhhh_

Ember closed her eyes and listened to the song. She stayed strong and kept from crying, even though she wanted to.

_Let's talk this over  
It's not like we're dead  
Was it something I did?  
Was it something you said?_

_Don't leave me hangin'  
In a city so dead.  
Held up so high  
On such a breakable thread_

_You were all the things I thought I knew  
And I thought we could be_

Of course, this didn't mean that Ember would tell Lard Nar everything she truly knew about Zim. Even though she felt betrayed and hurt; she still felt loyalty to Zim.

_You were everything, everything  
That I wanted,(that I wanted)  
We were meant to be, supposed to be  
But we lost it (we lost it)  
All of the memories so close to me  
Just fade away_

_All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending  
ohh, ohh,  
So much for my happy ending  
Ohh ohh_

'Maybe this really is for the best.' Ember thought.

It was a good thing that Zim had given her a special pill before they arrived on the Massive. He said it would be like a PAK and keep her from having to use the bathroom or needing food and water.

He also explained to her that if he was to even try to put a PAK on her back, it would have been extremely dangerous. Not only would it most likely end up not being compatible to her body and most likely kill her. It would also have to be drilled right through her spinal cord, and her being permanently paralyzed or killed from infection was at a high chance of happening.

So the pill was easier…but, how long would it last? How long would it be before she starved to death or died from dehydration?

_You've got your dumb friends  
I know what they say (they say)  
They tell you I'm difficult  
But so are they (But so are they)  
But they don't know me  
Do they even know you?(even know you?)  
All the things you hide from me  
All the shit that you do (all the shit that you do)_

Ember's mind once again went to Zim.

She didn't want to think that he truly abandoned her.

_You were all the things I thought I knew  
And I thought we could be_

_You were everything, everything  
That I wanted (that I wanted)  
We were meant to be, supposed to be  
But we lost it (we lost it)  
All of the memories so close to me  
Just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending_

'I guess…Zim really isn't coming.' She thought; regaining her original thought. She felt tears build up in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

She continued to pay attention to the song.

"So much for my happy ending…" She said to herself in a dry whisper.

_It's nice to know that you were there  
Thanks for acting like you care  
And making me feel like I was the only one  
It's nice to know we had it all  
Thanks for watching as I fall  
And letting me know we were done_

_He was everything, everything  
That I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be  
But we lost it  
All of the memories so close to me  
Just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending_

She hugged her knees tighter and kept the tears in.

_You were everything, everything  
That I wanted (that I wanted)  
We were meant to be, supposed to be  
But we lost it  
All of the memories so close to me  
Just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending_

As the song started to come to an ending, a single tear went down Ember's cheek. But it was quickly wiped away and there were no more tears to follow.

_ohh ohh ohh ohh  
So much for my happy ending  
ohh ohh ohh ohh  
So much for my happy ending  
ohh, ohh, ohh, ohhhhh_

Ember sighed sadly as she took off the headphones and turned off the Zune. She returned them to the corner where they would be hidden by the dark shadows.

---

Zim watched as his leaders emerged from two separate transporter beams.

They both floated over to Zim and Red said "Well…Let's go save Ember."

----

Wow…it didn't take me long to complete this chapter…I guess it was because I had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen and be said (usually I make it up as I go along).

Well…Monster Quest is about to start, so I don't have time to start chapter 6. But I should be able to have it up on Monday; if I'm lucky (Report Cards come out on Monday…).


	6. One tries another gives up

Well…this may be my last chapter for a while. The report card that I got a few days ago was not a good one…I have 2 F's, 3 C's and 1 B….so my parents weren't very happy. They gave me a little time on the computer before they decide my punishment…

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs. I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 6: One tries; another gives up.

Zim looked up at his leaders for a while; finally, he looked away and said, "What are you talking about? I thought there was no way to save Ember…" He closed his eyes as he was on the verge of tears.

Red kept looking at Zim; he sighed and said, "Well, there may be a way…but it won't be easy."

Zim opened his eyes and, once again, looked up at his leaders.

---

Ember sat there. Her thoughts no longer held the image of Zim. She couldn't handle it; thinking of Zim meant thinking of something that almost was…and she was never going there again.

She put on her headphones and picked a song.

_I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's home to me and I walk alone_

She hugged her knees tighter and closed her eyes.

Ember could feel herself getting weaker and weaker. It probably meant that the pill Zim had given her was wearing off; which wasn't a good thing.

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of broken dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk alone_

_I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone_

She guessed it had been a few days, at least three. Maybe more for Zim down there on Earth…

Lard Nar still tried to get her to "tell him" about the Irken race. And every time, she would just look away from him and stay silent.

That day; Ember guessed it was yesterday; he started to beat the answers out of her.

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shadow hearts the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone_

_Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ahhh-Ah  
Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah_

_Flashback_

_Lard Nar picked her up by the front of her shirt and asked her something about the Irken race; she didn't answer_.

_He waited a while, and then threw her hard against the wall all the way across the room._

_Ember started to get up; she got halfway and looked up at Lard Nar with a hint of confusion in her eyes._

_He looked down at her menacingly and yelled, "I am through playing games! If you want to keep acting like this…then, we'll just have to make you answer!"_

_And with that; one of his servants walked towards her as she got up. He slapped her across the face and sent her to the ground again, then kicked her hard._

_**I'm walking down the line  
That divides me somewhere in my mind  
On the border line of the edge  
And where I walk alone**_

_The servant and Lard Nar started to laugh._

_Ember looked up at Lard Nar; for a second, she thought she saw her father's face…_

_END_

Ember still felt pain; she held her stomach and felt where the bruises were.

It wasn't just her stomach; Ember felt pain all over her body. For all she knew, she could have more serious injuries than just a few bruises.

_Read between the lines of what's  
Fucked up and everything's all right  
Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive  
And I walk alone_

_I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone_

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there would find me  
'Til then I'll walk alone..._

As she listened to the song; Ember began feeling more and more depressed. She thought about changing the song; but, the song wasn't the cause for her mood. No song could make her feel better…or worse.

_Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah  
Ahhh-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah  
I walk alone  
I walk alone_

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of broken dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk a..._

Ember opened her eyes; she started to feel sleepy.

'Not good…' She thought.

_My shadows the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I'll walk alone_

---

Zim was currently facing the monitor; he typed while he talked to his leaders.

"So…if we can find some way to teleport ourselves directly onto and off the Resisty's ship, we'll be able to rescue Ember?"

"Yes…if we can get the right coordinates." Purple said; trying not to think of the risks.

"But…one mistake and we could end up missing the ship and being trapped in space; which, won't be a good thing." Red cautioned.

Zim turned to look up at his leaders. "So…Why are we even taking this risk?"

"Because, I know you don't want to lose Ember!"

"What do you mean lose her?! The Resisty won't actually kill her…will they?"

"They can and they will…" Red sighed; he didn't want to accept it either.

"So…if we fail…"

"We'll fail Ember!" Purple said for Red.

Zim didn't say anything else; he looked down at the ground, in deep thought. It was either risking not only his life, but also the lives of his leaders. Or, fail the person who had ever given him their trust, loyalty (other than Gir), and compassion.

"I'll…be right back." Zim said as he walked past the Tallests.

He got into the elevator and was sent up to the house level.

Gir was on the couch, watching TV; the radio in his lap and currently turned on.

He walked near the hallway; causing the door to slide open.

_Step one you say we need to talk  
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk  
He smiles politely back at you  
You stare politely right on through  
Some sort of window to your right  
As he goes left and you stay right  
Between the lines of fear and blame  
You begin to wonder why you came_

Zim leaned in the doorway. He listened to the song and tried to make a decision of what he was going to do._  
_

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life_

What surprised Zim the most was that the Tallests actually cared about Ember. Either that or they didn't trust her with the knowledge that Zim had given her over the month.

_Let him know that you know best  
Cause after all you do know best  
Try to slip past his defense  
Without granting innocence  
Lay down a list of what is wrong  
The things you've told him all along  
And pray to God he hears you  
And pray to God he hears you_

Zim thought about the times when he saw Ember get bullied. Back when she was just a simple human that, to him, was just like all the rest.

He remembered when he saw Zita pour blue paint on Ember's hair…then laugh as she cried. He remembered when he first saw those bruises spread all along the side of Ember's face. Also, the way she looked the night of her father's death…how dead she looked. Oh God…he never wanted to witness that again.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life_

_As he begins to raise his voice  
You lower yours and grant him one last choice  
Drive until you lose the road  
Or break with the ones you've followed  
He will do one of two things  
He will admit to everything  
Or he'll say he's just not the same  
And you'll begin to wonder why you came_

Zim stood up and walked into the hallway. He could still hear the song trailing behind him, even though Gir was still in the living room.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life_

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life  
How to save a life  
How to save a life_

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life_

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life  
How to save a life_

The song ended; Zim was now in the elevator and going back down to his lab.

The Tallests looked at him as he entered.

Zim sighed, "Okay…how are we gonna build this teleporter?"

Both the Tallest smiled slightly, and all three went up to the monitor and began working.

---

I'm hoping that my parents won't ground me for very long…(or put a timer on the computer) I think if I say that I'll try harder…they'll give me another chance…

I could have probably done a little bit better job on this chapter…but it'll work :)


	7. Forgotten Flashbacks

I'm starting to type this at skool….its a good thing I still have my flash drive. I'm supposed to be doing something completely different….but as long as I'm typing, the teachers won't catch me.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs; I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 7: Forgotten Flashbacks.

Ember was thrown hard into the cage. Her side slammed into the cement (or looked like cement) wall.

She stayed in a kneeling position. She felt dizzy and could almost taste blood in her mouth.

It had been at least a week. Each day the questions got more and more complex, and the beatings got more and more severe.

Ember had already given up…and now it seemed like her body was starting to shut down.

Cuts, gashes and bruises were spread all along her arms and face. Her eyes were red from lack of sleep. At the most, Ember allowed herself to fall asleep for an hour each day. If she slept more, she feared that she would never wake up.

Once in a while, a guard would come in and take someone else out of their cage. He would drag them out of the room. Sometimes that person would be silent, but most of the time they would scream and cry out, even struggle with the guard.

That person would be taken out…and never come back.

Ember tried to not think about it; she tried to not think that next time, she would be the one to not come back.

She put on the headphones and picked a song. She wanted to just drown her thoughts out, but what she really did, was bring back old memories.

_There's a girl  
Who sits under the bleachers  
Just another day eating alone  
And though she smiles  
There is something just hiding  
And she can't find a way to relate  
She just goes unnoticed_

_Flashback_

_A three year old Ember wandered into the kitchen. She opened the fridge, trying to find something to drink._

_A beer can rolled off the shelf and was accidently caught by Ember._

_Ember looked at it for a while; then popped the lid. She sniffed it and made to take a small sip, when she was slapped and fell to the ground. Dropping the can to the ground, where its contents spilled out._

"_Oh great! Nice going you bitch!" Her father yelled at her._

_**As the crowd passes by  
And she'll pretend to be busy  
When inside she just wants to cry  
She'll say...**_

_Her father grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up._

"_How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of the fride?!" He yelled before dropping her to the ground._

_Ember fell and landed on her feet, but she lost her balance and fell backwards._

_Her father pulled his hand back and was about to slap the now, crying girl again._

"_Please…Daddy don't!" Ember was slapped hard. She got up and ran to her room._

_End_

_Take a little look  
At the life of Miss Always Invisible  
Look a little harder  
I really really want you to put yourself in her shoes  
Take another look  
At the face of Miss Always Invisible  
Look a little closer_

Ember hugged her knees. She wanted to turn the song off. But her memories prevented her. They held her back and forced her to watch her past unfold in her mind.

_And maybe then you will see  
Why she waits for the day when you'll ask her name _

_Flashback__  
_

_The first day of first grade. Ember walked into the skoolyard, a bright smile on her face as she saw the other kids playing and laughing with their friends._

_She walked up to a six year old Zita and said hi._

_Zita looked at her for a minute. _

"_Hi!" She said with a smile. _

_The two told each other their names and began to play catch with the kick ball Zita was holding._

_---_

_**The beginning  
In the first weeks of class  
She did everything to try and fit in  
But the others they couldn't seem  
To get past all the things that mismatched on the surface  
And she would close her eyes **_

_Four years later and the first day of fifth grade._

_Ember walked into the classroom and immediately spotted her old friend, who had moved away the previous year. She walked up to her._

_Zita was talking with the "popular" girls when Ember walked up to her._

"_Hey Zita, I thought you moved last year!" Ember said with a warm smile. _

_Zita stared at her, she looked at the other girls and saw their disapproved looks. She looked back at Ember, and with a smirk she said, "I have no idea what you're talking about freak! Now get away from me!" And with that, Zita pushed Ember to show that she was not welcome._

_Ember was confused…she thought Zita was her friend. A few tears fell from her eyes._

"_Hey look! I made the freak cry!" Zita pointed and laughed. The others around her joined in._

_**When they laughed and she fell down the stairs  
And the more that they joked  
And the more that they screamed  
She retreated to where she is now  
And she'll sing...**__  
_

_Ember retreated to a seat in the back corner and tried to drown out the laughter._

_End_

_Take a little look  
At the life of Miss Always Invisible  
Look a little harder  
I really really want you to put yourself in her shoes  
Take another look  
At the face of Miss Always Invisible _

Ember watched her memories play in her mind. She began to feel angry…and sad.

_Look a little closer  
And maybe then you will see  
Why she waits for the day when you'll ask  
Her name_

_Flashback_

_A week before the arrival of Zim._

_Ember sat in her seat…she held her bleeding nose._

_Torque had punched her. She didn't know why…He just said that he felt like it._

_It hurt. And she could hear the others laughing. She took her bloody hand away and looked at it. Tears ran from her eyes and mixed with the blood._

_She just wanted a friend…was that too much to ask? All she wanted was to be accepted…to be treated with respect. _

_She wanted to just die…_

---

_A week later; Ember saw a green boy enter the classroom._

_**And one day just the same as the last  
Just the days spent in counting the time  
Came a boy that sat under the bleachers  
Just a little bit further behind...**_

_End_

Ember tore the headphones off. She threw them, along with the Zune against the wall. She heard a crack, but didn't look up.

She held her knees and had her forehead on her kneecaps. That made her hurt even more, but she didn't care.

Tears were just begging to be freed and allowed to fall down her cheeks. But…Ember didn't let them. She just sat there, huddled in a cold, shivering ball.

She heard the creak of her cage door open.

"Ember?" A soft voice asked.

----

Darn…I got caught….But the teachers thought the beginning of this chapter was "very creative" And now I have to share this finished chapter with them on Tuesday…I can tell this chapter will get me a seat next to the counselor….again.

Anyway….I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It turns out that I wasn't grounded…I'm just going to have to go to a tutor 3 days a week. But, I'm not complaining…I need tutoring.


	8. Breathing

Well, I've managed to officially creep out my teachers…but they gave me extra credit…

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs. I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 8: Breathing.

They were almost done. They worked for at least a week and finally their plan was set.

The teleporter was finished. That wasn't the hard part. The hard part was getting the right coordinates and making sure they'll hit their mark.

Zim walked out of the lab to leave Red and Purple to fight over a bag of chips. He went up to the house level and walked into the living room.

Gir was nowhere to be seen. Zim just settled for the thought that he went out clubbing…again. After all, it was late. Around 9:30 pm.

The radio was on the floor; turned off and forgotten.

Zim picked up the radio and turned it on. The silence in the room was just so unbearable. How could he have ever lived without Ember? Even though he only went a couple days before actually allowing Ember inside his base…he couldn't come to understand how he ever got along without her music.

A song started to play.

_This time, This place  
Misused, Mistakes  
Too long, Too late  
Who was I to make you wait  
Just one chance  
Just one breath  
Just in case there's just one left  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

Zim sighed and placed the radio on the couch. He walked away and towards the hallway door.

It slid open and he walked in.

_That I love you  
I loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me_

He walked into Ember's room and sat on the edge of the bed.

Even through two steel doors, Zim could still hear the song loud and clear.

He looked around the room. His eyes finally fell on the guitar in the corner behind the bed.

_And you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

_On my knees, I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance  
'Cause with you, I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand  
I'd give it all  
I'd give for us  
Give anything but I won't give up  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

Zim got up and walked around to the other side of the bed. He picked up the guitar and studied it.

It had collected a thin layer of dust from not being played or even touched in over a week.

_That I love you  
I loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

Zim once again, sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled the guitar into his lap and wiped the dust off. Tears began to build up in his eyes.

This song made him think of Ember and how…he might never see her alive again.

He kept thinking that Ember could be taking her last breaths at this very second. And…he didn't know that he wasn't too far away from the truth.

'Please Ember…hold on…' He thought; wishing that he could tell her in some way. Tolet her know that he wasn't going to give up again.

_So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
But you know, you know, you know_

Zim didn't notice his leaders standing in the doorway; watching him.

They followed him; curious to see what he was up to.

Zim probably didn't hear them because of the song. He just sat there; his back to the Tallests.

I wanted  
I wanted you to stay  
_'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say  
That I love you  
I loved you all along  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it_

They felt sorry for Zim. Of course, they couldn't cry for Ember…even if they wanted to.

Zim was considered a defect not only for his destructive behavior, but also for his acceptance to emotions.

Irkens never slept, they never cried for their loved ones because they never loved. Well…Zim was the exception. It's not that they couldn't, it's just that their PAKS were programmed to not allow any distractions from their missions…and emotions and sleep were considered distractions.

Red and Purple leaned in the doorway; watching as Zim became more and more depressed.

_Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go_

Red sighed and left; Purple followed.

They headed back down to the labs through the elevator.

Once there, they waited for Zim. They had finally found the coordinates that should transport them right next to the door to the dungeons…they knew that was where Ember was being kept.

Zim appeared from the elevator. He was wiping the tears away with the back of his hand, trying to once again look like a strong Irken soldier.

"Zim….ready?" Purple asked. He knew Zim was feeling nervous about this.

Zim looked up at the coordinates.

"Don't worry. We set it so that we'll appear right in the middle of the ship. Unless they speed up for some reason, we'll have no trouble." Red said.

They had hooked the transporter onto Zim's computer. All they had to do was set the coordinates, which they already did, then press a button on a special bracelet on their wrists.

((I'm not going to get all technical….If you don't have an imagination, then that's your fault.))

They each pressed the button and disappeared in a wave of light pink energy.

They appeared at their exact spot.

They all felt dizzy; they shook their heads a bit and recovered.

Zim looked around. It looked a lot like the layout of the massive, only with a light green and black color scheme.

"Come on!" He heard Red whisper before slipping into a room nearby with Purple following.

Zim took one last look around, and then followed.

The room was dark and cold. The only light coming from a single torch up high on one of the walls.

Zim looked ahead of him and saw a single cage; he saw a small person in that cage huddled up in a ball against the wall.

"Ember…" He whispered. He ran past the Tallests and towards the cage.

He opened the heavy door and lingered; watching the girl.

"Ember?" He asked in a soft voice.

----

Yes! Another chapter done….maybe I should have done my career research paper…oh well.

I hope you enjoyed it…I just wanted to have this song in the story…cuz its one of my favorites.


	9. Look me in the eyes…please

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs. I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 9: Look me in the eyes…please.

Zim lingered, waiting for a response.

Ember kept her eyes on her legs. She stayed in that curled up ball position…silent and unresponsive.

Zim ran to her and knelt down at her side. He couldn't see her face clearly because of the dim light, but he could tell she was severely hurt.

Ember continued to ignore him. She just thought that he was just another creation of her sick and increasingly growing more and more demented mind. She was beginning to think that she had always been in that cage. And she just dreamed up Zim and created her own horrible past.

Zim put a hand on her shoulder. He tried to be careful but he was getting worried.

"Ember, look at me!" He said in a loud voice. He shook her gently.

The Tallests guarded the entrance to the cage. Red looked back; he watched the depressing scene. Finally, he left Purple and floated over near Zim.

"Come on…We can figure out what's wrong with her when we get back to your base!" Red said; his voice getting its cold, sternness back.

"Ember! Tell me you're okay! Just…just look me in the eyes…please!" Zim sounded desperate; he could feel tears building up, but he blinked them away. Again, he got no response.

He knew she was still alive; he could hear her raspy and shallow breathing.

Zim sighed and turned his head towards Red.

"Okay…" He said in a low voice to his leader.

Red turned and headed out the cage and for the door.

Purple followed; but, only after taking one last look at Zim and Ember.

Zim stared at Ember for a while. He reached out and carefully picked her up. Pulling her up with him, Zim got up and was about to leave when he saw something.

He once again knelt down, Ember still in his arms, and saw that it was her Zune and headphones. A small robotic arm shot out of his PAK and picked it up; then retracted and pulled the Zune into his PAK.

Zim got up and walked out. He walked out of the cage and out of that cold and depressing room.

The bright light hit Ember's face.

Zim nearly dropped her when he saw her face. It was ten times worse than the ones her father gave her.

Ember's eyes were closed. She was unconscious and went completely limp in Zim's arms.

The Tallests gasped. Even they would never beat someone. Truly, Lard Nar had turned sick and twisted over the years of practically being a slave to the Irken army.

They heard voices.

"Hey!? What do you think you're doing?!" A shout was heard from a guard at the end of the hallway. He pointed a laser at them.

"I suggest we go…Now!" Purple yelled as they barely missed the laser beam.

They all pressed the buttons on their wrists to go back. Zim struggled a bit with his because Ember was still in his arms. But he got it as soon as he saw five or six guards plus Lard Nar came running towards him.

One of the guards jumped to grab Zim; but ended up grabbing nothing but a pink light and slamming face first into the wall.

---

Several hours went by…

Ember was now in her room…tucked into her bed.

She woke up an hour after her rescue. But she still didn't say anything; she didn't even make eye contact with Zim or the Tallests. She just lay there silent as Zim scanned her to see if she had any internal injuries.

She didn't have any internal injuries as far as Zim could see.

Now she lay there, on her back, staring at the wired ceiling. Zim had tried to get her to eat or drink something…but she refused. He gave up and told her to get some rest.

Before Zim had left, he set the radio on the table and turned it on. Knowing how unbearable silence was to her, he thought it would help her sleep.

A song started to play…

_How can you see into my eyes like open doors?  
Leading you down into my core  
Where I've become so numb_

The song filled the room with its eerie lyrics.

Ember tried to fall asleep…but she felt like she was already in a dream.

_Without a soul  
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold  
Until you find it there and lead it back home_

[_wake me up] Wake me up inside  
[I can't wake up] Wake me up inside  
[Save me] Call my name and save me from the dark  
[Wake me up] Bid my blood to run  
[I can't wake up] Before I come undone  
[Save me] Save me from the nothing I've become_

She turned her head to look at the dark corner where that demonic, shadowy figure would usually be.

She saw nothing. Just the room's own shadows.

_Now that I know what I'm without  
You can't just leave me  
Breathe into me and {make me real}  
Bring me  
To life_

Ember turned her head to once again look at the wired ceiling. Her eyes were wide open.

_[wake me up] Wake me up inside  
[I can't wake up] Wake me up inside  
[Save me] Call my name and save me from the dark  
[Wake me up] Bid my blood to run  
[I can't wake up] Before I come undone  
[Save me] Save me from the nothing I've become_

_{Bring me to life}  
[I've been living a lie..There's nothing inside]  
{Bring me to life}_

Her thoughts were silent. They had already caused her enough grief and sorrow.

Ember sat up and coughed. At first it was just a slight cough, then it turned violent. It hurt her to sit up; she was just so tired.

The cough subsided and she lay back down.

_Frozen inside without your touch  
Without your love, darling  
Only you all the life upon the die_

_[All of this I, I can't believe I couldn't see  
Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me]_

_I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems  
Got to open my eyes to everything_

_[Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul]  
{Don't let me die here}{there must be something more}  
Bring me to life_

She heard voices coming from outside her room. They came closer, but never opened the door.

_[wake me up] Wake me up inside  
[I can't wake up] Wake me up inside  
[Save me] Call my name and save me from the dark  
[Wake me up] Bid my blood to run  
[I can't wake up] Before I come undone  
[Save me] Save me from the nothing I've become_

"I don't know what's wrong with her…Why is she ignoring me?!" She heard Zim say.

"Just give her time Zim…" Purple told him.

"Yeah…I'm sure she'll come around. You need to understand what she's been through." Red's voice trailed off as he and the other two went away from the door.

_Bring me to life  
[I've been living a lie.. There's nothing inside]  
Bring me to life_

The song faded away…like most songs do.

Ember lay there in silence. She felt hurt on the inside…like a knife had gone through her heart and then twisted and pulled out mercilessly. She needed an explanation as to why Zim came so late…Why he let this happen to her!

---

Wow…I sure am in a depressed mood. Maybe it's because of that JTHM comic I've been reading all day…

Anyway, it took me FOREVER to find the right song…hopefully I made the right choice with another Evanescence song.

Next chapter should be up soon :)


	10. Explanation

YAY!!! Another 3 Day weekend!!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs…I am not claiming that I do.

---

Chapter 10: Explanation.

Ember was still awake. She couldn't sleep.

Zim was probably asleep himself by now…She felt alone.

She knew the Tallests had already gone back to the Massive…

Gir was probably asleep on the couch, or falling asleep. Watching some weird show that is only shown late at night, having been forced to keep the volume down for her benefit.

Ember slowly closed her eyes.

---

Morning came; though, the only way Ember knew that was because of the loud crashing and clanging sounds of Gir in the kitchen.

She heard Zim's shouts for Gir to be quiet.

That was the last thing she heard clearly before once again slipping into an uneasy sleep.

---

"Ember?"

Zim's voice pierced through her soon-to-be nightmare of a dream.

Ember opened her eyes slightly; then, turned her head away from Zim.

Zim felt uncomfortable. He wanted to talk to Ember…but he couldn't find the nerve. Why was she so mad at him?!

"Hey…it's a nice day. Wanna go to the park?" Zim asked. He tried to sound cheerful…but it didn't work.

Ember didn't say anything.

Zim stood there. He waited for a minute. After getting no response; Zim turned and left.

Ember listened as his footsteps faded away.

---

Two hours later…

Zim was now lingering in Ember's doorway.

He watched as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Muttering things that he couldn't understand…

Finally, she began to awaken.

She sat up in bed; breathing hard and trying to remember where she was. She didn't notice Zim…

He waited until she calmed down; then, walked towards her.

He sat next to her, on the edge of the bed. He felt her jump and realized that he must have surprised her.

"…Ember…Please…Tell me why you're so mad at me." He whispered. He wanted to reach out and hug her, but he knew that she would just resist and move out of his reach.

Ember hugged her knees. She kept her eyes on the bed.

Zim reached over and turned the radio on.

A song started to play…

_Look into my eyes - you will see  
What you mean to me  
Search your heart - search your soul  
And when you find me there you'll search no more _

"Why?"

Zim looked at Ember. "Why what?" He asked.

"Why did you let this happen to me?!" Ember yelled. She looked up and at the wall in front of her.

_Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for  
You know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you_

"…Ember…I…I'm—"

"You're what? Sorry?! Of course you are…they always are…" Ember's voice was now cold and sounded almost emotionless. Her eyes stayed focused on the Japanese Dragon painted on that same wall.

_Look into your heart - you will find  
There's nothin' there to hide  
Take me as I am - take my life  
I would give it all - I would sacrifice_

Zim looked down at the floor. He knew why she was mad at him…he knew it all along. He just didn't want to accept it.

He could suddenly hear Embers choked sobs.

"I…I thought I would never see you again…" Ember turned her head to look at Zim.

Their eyes met for the first time since Ember's return.

_Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
Ya know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you _

"I thought that you didn't care about me anymore." Much needed tears were running down Ember's face.

Zim reached over and gently pulled Ember into a comforting embrace.

_There's no love - like your love  
And no other - could give more love  
There's nowhere - unless you're there  
All the time - all the way_

"And…I thought I had been abandoned again...I felt abandoned…" Ember hugged back.

"I'm so sorry Ember…I'll make it up to you. I promise." Zim kept his voice low. He held Ember tighter as they both listened to the song.

"…You already have Zim…" Ember smiled slightly. "Thank you for proving me wrong."

_Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you  
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you _

Zim smiled back.

He broke the hug and wiped the few remaining tears from Ember's cheeks.

Ember was starting to fall asleep again. Her eyes slowly closed and she leaned against Zim.

_Ya know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you_

Zim stayed with Ember.

He could tell that she was in a comfortable sleep…finally.

----

Wow….this has got to be the shortest chapter I have ever done!!

Oh well…I found myself smiling as I typed it…well, at least towards the ending.

Next chapter will be much longer! Guaranteed!


	11. Shadows Emerge

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs. I am not claiming that I do…

---

Chapter 11: Shadows Emerge.

Ember slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the barely lit room.

Zim was gone. He must have sneaked out after she had fallen asleep. She didn't mind; she thought about getting up to go see what he was doing.

She reached for the light and turned it on.

However, as soon as the light was turned on…it flickered and shut off, leaving the room once again in almost complete darkness.

Ember thought it was strange; but she just figured that the bulb had simple burned out.

She got up and took small steps for the door, careful to not trip. As soon as she got close enough, the door slid open; allowing light to flood into the room.

Ember found Zim in the lab; asleep on one of the many keyboards.

She smiled and walked up to him.

"Hey…Zim." She whispered in his antenna as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Then took a step back as he awoke.

"Huh?! What?" He said, startled.

Ember giggled and he turned around.

He sighed with relief and said, "Don't do that! I thought you were the Dib Human!"

"Awww…you're no fun, Zim!" Ember said while trying to contain her laughter.

"Well, at least you're out of bed. By that I take you're feeling better?"

"Yeah…What time is it anyway?"

"Umm…I think about 2:30 pm. Why?"

"Just wondering…" Ember turned to go back to the elevator. It appeared to her that Zim was trying to finish something, since he had already began typing.

As she got near the elevator; Ember stopped and looked back at Zim. "Hey…Zim?"

"Yeah?" He answered; still not taking his eyes off the monitor.

"I'm…sorry about being mad at you…"

That got Zim's attention. He took his hands away from the keyboard and turned to look at her.

"Ember…you had every right to be mad at me." He said in a gentle tone.

"No Zim, I didn't. You took the time to save me even though it was a major risk. And I shouldn't have cared about how long it took…I'm sorry." She looked down at the ground.

Zim walked towards her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"You don't have to apologize to me Ember. Let's just stop telling each other we're sorry; you're safe and that's all that really matters, okay?"

"Okay…" Ember's eyes didn't leave the floor.

"Oh…come on! Give me a smile!"

Ember looked up and gave Zim the smile he wanted. "Okay…happy?"

"That'll do…for now." Zim laughed a bit. He took his arm off of Ember's shoulders.

"Whatever. Uhh…I'm still feeling a bit sleepy, so I'm gonna go lay down a while." Ember walked into the elevator. She turned and gave Zim a real smile.

---

Ember walked into her room. She had completely forgotten to tell Zim about the lamp, but he was so busy that she didn't want to bother him.

As the door slid closed behind her, Ember got a feeling that something just wasn't right.

She sat on her bed and lay down. She started to get a headache and began to feel weak.

A noise came from the darkest corner of the room. It sounded like heavy breathing and a slight growl.

Ember stared at that corner. It was the same corner where that shadowy figure would always emerge. She saw it come out of the shadows and walk, dragging its hand along the wall next to it as it went along.

It stopped right in front of the bed and looked Ember right in the eyes…or appeared to.

"I've had enough! I cannot stand your little, pathetic happiness any longer!" It yelled. Its voice was suddenly all too familiar to Ember.

She put her arms over her head. An instinct that she was very used to.

The figure laughed; then walked backwards towards the wall and vanished through it.

Ember looked up; she put her arms down…a mistake.

Suddenly, she saw what looked like black lightning appear and spread all along the wall where the thing disappeared. She saw a large wave of black energy come at her from the wall, close to the ceiling.

Ember felt herself being choked. She couldn't breathe.

Ember kicked and thrashed; she tried to grab and scratch at hands that weren't there.

She heard the door slide open and could see from the corners of her eyes, Zim standing in the doorway.

He ran to her side.

"Ember?! What's wrong…what are you doing?!" He obviously couldn't see anything…he also didn't know about the shadow figure. She should have told him…

She could feel herself beginning to stop struggling, like she was giving up.

'No…never again!' She thought as she began to struggle more and more.

Finally, she no longer felt cold hands on her throat. She gasped and choked for air as she sat up.

"What's going on?!" Zim yelled, completely confused.

Ember had a hand on her throat as she took huge breaths of air. "I'll…tell you…later." Ember was about to look at Zim when she saw that same black energy form into a figure near the wall.

It came close to the bed.

Ember pointed and shouted at Zim. "There! Don't you see him?!"

Zim turned to where Ember was pointing. He turned back with a worried look on his face.

"I don't see anything…Are you sure you're okay?"

Ember didn't answer. Her eyes were locked on the figure that was slowly making its way to the other side of the bed. The side where Zim couldn't protect her…even if he wasn't doing it on purpose.

It reached out and made to grab her neck once more. Ember flinched and felt herself freeze.

Suddenly, a bright light came from the wall near where the shadow figure stood. It turned and looked at the light.

That bright light formed into another figure. This one looked like a woman.

The shadow stepped away from Ember and walked towards the bright figure. Then stepped away from it as if hurt by the light.

Ember stared at the light…she knew who it was.

"Mom?" Ember whispered towards the light.

"Huh?" Zim was now completely confused. He looked where Ember was looking, yet he saw nothing. Just a wall with a Japanese Dragon painted on it.

The light figure nodded. It's pure, light purple eyes stared lovingly at Ember. It suddenly turned its attention on the shadow.

It held out its palm out towards the shadow. A powerful ball of light appeared and struck the shadow, sending it screeching in pain.

The shadow figure disappeared. A silence filled the room.

A song started to play, even though no one had touched the radio.

_May the angels protect you  
Trouble neglect you  
And heaven accept you when it's time to go home  
May you always have plenty  
Your glass never empty  
And know in your belly  
You're never alone_

The light figure walked towards Ember.

Ember watched as her mother came up to her and put a loving hand on her cheek.

_May your tears come from laughing  
You find friends worth having  
With every year passing  
They mean more than gold  
May you win but stay humble  
Smile more than grumble  
And know when you stumble  
You're never alone _

Ember couldn't speak. She felt as her mother's hand went from her cheek to gently stroking her hair like any mother would do.

She saw that caring smile on her face.

_Never alone  
Never alone  
I¹ll be in every beat of your heart  
When you face the unknown  
Wherever you fly  
This isn't goodbye  
My love will follow you stay with you  
Baby you¹re never alone_

"I…I love you…" Ember whispered; finally finding her voice. She had always wanted to say that to a person other than Zim.

"I love you too." Her mother said. Her voice, unlike her father's was loving and gentle.

_Well I have to be honest  
As much as I wanted  
I'm not gonna promise the cold winds won¹t blow  
So when hard times have found you  
And your fears surround you  
Wrap my love around you  
You're never alone _

"Ember…who are you talking to?" Zim asked. He was a little creeped out by seeing his friend talking to herself.

Ember's mother looked over at Zim.

"Is that him?" She asked.

Ember turned to look at Zim. "Yeah." She whispered back.

Her mother smiled at Zim, then looked back down at Ember.

"Never let him go…I can already tell that he truly loves you." She stroked Ember's hair one more time before she faded away.

_Never alone  
Never alone  
I¹ll be in every beat of your heart  
When you face the unknown  
Wherever you fly  
This isn't goodbye  
My love will follow you stay with you  
Baby you¹re never alone_

_May the angels protect you  
Trouble neglect you  
And heaven accept you when it's time to go home_

Ember smiled. The feeling of her mother's gentle hand lingered. She brought her hand to her neck and gasped at what she felt.

_And when hard times have found you  
And your fear surrounds you  
Wrap my love around you  
You¹re never alone_

"What?!" Zim asked. He ran to the other side of the bed, afraid that Ember was hurt.

_Never alone  
Never alone  
I¹ll be in every beat of your heart  
When you face the unknown  
Wherever you fly  
This isn't goodbye  
My love will follow you stay with you  
Baby you¹re never alone_

Ember fingered a small pendant that was around her neck. It had the engraving of a wolf with the word, "Spirit" engraved on the back.

((Think about the Wolf Spirit symbol from Balto 2. The one that was on top of the totem pole…And if you haven't seen Balto 2, just think of a white wolf head with paws…))

"What the…That wasn't there before! Was it?" Zim asked. He stared at the necklace.

_My love will follow you stay with you  
Baby you're never alone_

"It was my mother's…I remember seeing it in one of the pictures. But, I thought she was buried with it on…" Ember looked up at Zim.

"Oh...and Mom says hi..." She whispered at Zim

They both smiled. Listening to the song as it ended and faded away.

---

This is not the end…yet. 1 more chapter! But don't worry…there'll be another sequel.

The song in this chapter wasn't originally supposed to be in this chapter…it wasn't even supposed to be in this story. But I couldn't find the lyrics to the original song, "Guardian Angel" by Juliana. But I think this one works too…"Never Alone" by Jim Brickman.


	12. A Valentine Gift

The last chapter…

This chapter may be extremely short...

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Invader Zim or any of the songs…and smart person would see that.

---

Chapter 12: A Valentine Gift.

Ember was sitting on the couch. Gir was sitting next to her and they were both watching the Angry Monkey Show.

Gir had just gotten back from getting a Suck Monkey. He had offered to get Ember one, but she refused.

Now they were patiently waiting for Zim to get home from skool. It was Friday, and that meant he had the whole weekend to hang out with Ember and Gir.

Now that she was better and was no longer plagued by horrific nightmares and shadow figures lurking in the corners of her room, Ember was looking forward to it. For now, she just sat there and tried to tune out Gir's annoying slurping sounds.

The sound of the door opening was heard.

Zim stood in the door way; he appeared to be holding something behind his back. A something that was not cooperating and was wiggling, trying to get free.

"Ember…" Zim said. He tried to keep whatever it was out of her sight.

Gir squealed and turned on the radio.

A song that really fit the mood began to play.

_Earth angel, earth angel  
Will you be mine?_

Ember looked over at Zim.

"Yeah?" She asked. She moved her head from side to side, trying to see what was behind Zim's back.

_My darling dear,  
Love you all the time.  
I'm just a fool,  
A fool in love...  
With you_

_Earth angel, earth angel  
The one I adore,_

"Well…I'm not sure if you know…But Valentine's Day was a few days ago. So…I thought I'd get you something…" Zim said between struggles.

_Love you forever,  
And ever more_

"It was?! I'm sorry Zim…I forgot."

"It's…okay. I didn't expect you to remember."

_I'm just a fool,  
A fool in love  
With you._

"Zim, you didn't have to get me anything." Ember sat up.

"I wanted to…" Zim was still struggling. He turned his head to look back at the squirming thing he was trying to keep a good grip on.

_I fell for you,  
And I knew  
The vision of your loveliness  
I hoped and I prayed  
That someday,  
I'd be the vision  
Of your happiness_

"But…I didn't get anything for you." Ember looked down. She felt a wave of guilt pass through her.

_Earth angel, earth angel,  
Please be mine  
My darling dear,  
Love you all the time  
I'm just a fool,  
A fool in love  
With you_

"It's okay." Zim was about to say something else, when the thing he was holding began to squirm and wiggle out of his grip.

_I fell for you,  
And I knew  
The vision of your loveliness_

_I hope and I pray  
That someday,  
I'd be the vision  
Of your happiness_

"Okay…Okay! Calm down!" Zim quietly said to whatever he was holding.

Ember looked up. She smiled and stood as Zim brought out whatever he was holding.

Gir sat there. He continued to drink his Suck Monkey while paying close attention to Zim and Ember. Almost like they were a part of a romantic and extremely good movie.

_Earth angel, earth angel  
Please be mine  
My darling dear,  
Love you all the time  
I'm just a fool,  
A fool in love..._

Ember's smile grew as Zim calmly sat his surprise to her down on the ground in front of him.

_With you._

"Happy…late Valentine's Day Ember." Zim said. He smiled when he saw the happy expression on Ember's face.

Ember smiled as it began to run up to her.

----

What did Zim get Ember? You'll just have to wait for the next story….aren't I terrible?

As I said…this chapter was very very short. It didn't really take me very long to type it up… But, it was a good jump start for the next story, which should begin in a few days.


End file.
